Down Under Ground Goes The Lightning
by TheFlyingCrow
Summary: When the dragon, Acnologia came and took out the fairies on Tenrou Island, they casted Fairy Sphere, to protect them against the great evil. After being found 7 years later, it seemed they all simply went into a coma like state where their bodies simply froze in time, unharmed. Except one. He was no longer a member of Fairy Tail, the effects of the sphere didn't fully protect him.
1. Chapter 1 - Deep Underground

Salted air reached his nose, along with the smell of wet earth.

He could not tell which direction was up and he grew disoriented. He could not see anything. His body was confined, and heavy. There was a constant weight pushing, and holding him down. His lungs, powerful as they are, struggled to breathe. He lost track of time, though that didn't matter much. A lot of time must have passed because his stomach began to ache. It was painfully clawing in his gut and seemed to never stop. His mouth felt like sand. 'How long has passed?' he wondered. Trying once more to make his limbs move, but he was only met with betrayal. 'Will anyone find me?'

The blessing of sleep no longer came to him. Instead, he was left abandoned and awake. 'Was everyone else experiencing this too?' He hoped not. His guild-mates didn't deserve this terror.

It was so very quiet, but not silent. He could hear the drumming of his heart as it took pounding steps within his chest.

Thump-thump, thump- thump, thump- thump.

He could also hear the rattle of his strained lungs. The roar of his stomach, growling in anger. He was going to die, alone. That thought hurt. He was an S-class elite mage. With almost endless power and strength at his will. He was a man who never asked for anything from anyone. Resorting to solving his issues himself. Now though, as his lungs began to tire, for once of the only times in his life, he begged./p

He begged for freedom from this hellish darkness. He begged for a bite of food. He begged for a drink of water to soothe his burning insides.

He begged for no more pain.

Eventually, when all those pleads were unheard, He begged for death.

But it seemed life was even too cruel to grant him that.

His magic was a bright, flashy element. It was always there to help light up the darkness he was as a child terrified of. His magic was his sword and shield, allowing him some form of protection no matter the situation.

A fight? Easy. Runaway from a bad situation? Yeah, that too. Intimidate any potential enemies? He would whip out a flash of lightning in the sky and they would shake.

But here, where the only enemy was the consuming darkness, his childhood fear returned. Only this time... His lightning would not protect him.

He was terrified.

'Food, food, please, and water!' his mind was frantic. His strength was slowly fading. He was a dragon slayer for fuck's sake, reduced to this. Helpless as a newborn. He tried to use whatever magic he had left, which, was not much. Thanks to the fucking dragon. Opening his mouth slightly, he began to inhale, trying to regain ethernano into his body. Different types of ethernano elements immediately hit him, earth, rock, sand, soil. So he was under the earth.

At least he knew where he was now. But whatever hope he had gone out the window of being found. No one will find him. Hope dimmed, he focused back on his task to feed himself. If he were to consume ethernanos other than lightning, he will become sick. Which would knock his survival chances down significantly. But, if it fed him, then he would take that risk.

Earth tasted disgusting, nothing like the sky. He wondered how Gajeel could stand to eat metal if it came from a place like this. However, he could feel his ethernanos returning. That was good enough for now.

He eventually had to try to find a water source. Sure the earth was wet, but it took too much time to get enough water from it. He decided to close his mind and shoot out electricity through the ground and follow it. It was a trick he learned while during exile. His lightning was like tree roots but grew faster.

Jagged paths formed under the earth. It travelled further, reaching for anything. His heart grew slower but it beat even louder in his ears. He needed water right now. The Ethernanos he gained left him quickly as he used more and more of his magic. He was going to run out before he found water.

'Come on, come on!'

Lightning reached and reac- oh. He found some. His lightning immediately electrified the water. Shocking any life or impurities from it. He sensed life fading away, fish. He inhaled and inhaled. Getting water ethernanos into his cold body.

Relief.

He no longer bothered to guess the time, instead, he used the routine grumble of his stomach to tell how long has passed. A day has passed every time his stomach demanded for attention. He was used to this feeling now.  
When his magic was somewhat restored he used it to explore the area around him. He could feel the energy of plants, water, and animals all above him. Eventually, he felt their movement and the energy that would expel from it.

He thought a lot, as that was the only thing he could do down here to keep him from going insane. His stomach grew much more hungry again, ethernanos from the earth were not filling his belly quickly enough. He needed energy.

'Hungry, so hungry. Food, anything. Hurts, so much pain.' Mind disarrayed. His thoughts were jumbled. So cold. He blasted out some electricity into the earth in desperation. Finding energy around him from animals. One was particularly close, small. It was like he could finally hear a heartbeat other than his own.

It was a quiet one, but fast. The smell of blood from its veins was striking. If only.

He grew weaker, and his magic grew more frantic. Out of control. It slashed at the energy source, shocking it, and stealing the energy from its body.

It was the best thing he ever tasted.

'More, MORE!' His magic consumed the energy from the once blissful creature. Absorbing it, and storing it, until there was nothing left. Its heart silenced. Movement stilled. He killed a defenceless creature.

But his stomach calmed.

That was how he discovered he could consume the energy from living things. Since living things held electric currents within their body, he was able to grab hold of the small currents and pull.

For every life he took, his mind mercilessly whipped at him with dark thoughts. He was never a killer at heart, not to those who had no way of defending themselves. He always would rather a challenge, a fair fight. But, as the days roll by, and his energy started to deplete, even more, it seems something else took over his body and controlled his decisions. How terrifying is was to be under the will of something else.

Plants became his main source. He didn't want to eat animals unless he had too. It felt as if he was reaching in and squeezing the heart of the animals he hunted. Draining it of its blood. Its fuel. Its energy. But sometimes he just couldn't contain his hunger.

His need was too strong.


	2. Chapter 2 - Back Again

He was still in so much pain, the never-ending hunger clawed at him. Words of temptation gently whispered in his ear. As much as he would love to dive into the dark water and just be at peace, he knew he couldn't. He refused to give in.

But dear god did his body ache. "Laxus?" A voice called.

He blinked.

He was in the guildhall. Laxus could see his guildmates rushing back into view. His hands trembled slightly as his heart knocked violently in his chest. He felt drenched in ice. 'Just a memory.' he reassured.

The missing members of Fairy Tail have returned, after seven long years of absence.

It was shocking for the guild, to see their main members return. Everyone was ecstatic. Macao even became the substitute master, who would've thought.

"Are you feeling alright?" Asked the captain of the Thunder God Tribe, Freed Justine. Laxus shifted his friend's gaze, pulling his large coat closer to his body. Freed caught the odd movement, damn. "Laxus?"

Laxus grunted. He doesn't feel like having this conversation. Freed's revealed eye softened. "Alright. As you wish." Freed always gave him space when he wanted it. It was one of the reasons why Laxus was much closer to him than most.

Freed shifted and opened his book, all but shoving his face in it to avoid the other Thunder Tribe members, who were in the middle of an argument as always. This time it was about Evergreen and her new "friend" Elfman. "I do not have a crush on him, you idiot!" Her face was boiling red. Bickslow choked out a laugh. "Yeah sure, maybe you can discover if that fairy has a large tail under all that manliness!" Bickslow cackled. Ever's face grew furious as she took out her fan and started thwacking him with it. "Ow ow ow!" The jester whined. "That's what you get!" Evergreen growled as she continued to whack the giggly mage around the guildhall. Freed sighed and shook his head, children. Laxus could feel his lip curling up in amusement, they haven't changed one bit.

Laxus studied the guildhall.

To be honest, he did not know why he was here. It was awkward, he felt out of place among the guild. His presence stuck out like a sore thumb because the last time he checked, he was exiled. He tried to leave many times when everyone woke up on the island, but it every time he tried, someone would capture his arm and lead him forward. It didn't help that he had an itch of dread every time he stepped away from the guild. His mind was desperate for the presence of another human. To keep away from the dark thoughts he was subjected too for so very long. Which is how he found himself sitting near the bar in the round down building that was the guildhall.

His eyes wandered as he examined his guildmates once more.

They all were in high spirits, joyful and partying as always.

There were few injuries from fighting the dragon a or from the time spent frozen in the earth.

No bones poked out from under anyone's skin, instead retained a healthy glow, full of life.

Some seem at a loss from the passage of time. Devastated that they missed out on so much during their time away.

'Guess they were all asleep during it.' He would admit, he was envious.

Even the old man seems alright, despite going one on one with the dragon.

It's been a little while since they've been back. The old man was now the sixth master, and Laxus was reinstated as a member of Fairy Tail, much to the annoyance of Makarov. Laxus is still dumbfounded by the announcement. 'Why did Gildarts do that?' He owed the crash mage now, fuck.

The Thunder Legion are crowded around him at the bar. Excited about his return. They were alive and energetic. Bickslow was still teasing Evergreen about her new 'boyfriend', despite the many bruises he retained from before. Freed was sitting on a stool right next to Laxus, calmly reading his book as if nothing was amiss. His worry dissipated. It seems the Legion was able to get more comfortable in the guild during his expulsion. Guilt crept up his neck. He was the one to keep the others away from their guildmates through his selfish isolation. Laxus still didn't know why they were so loyal to him, lord knows he doesn't deserve it. He needed to focus. His stomach growled madly. Right, he should probably get something to eat now that he wasn't under…

He called over to where a purple-haired bar attendant stood, wiping a glass. "Hey, miss."

He didn't know her name, but she came over anyway.

Not hesitant because she did not know who he was. Good, this will be easy then.

"Yes, how may I help you?" Her voice had a slight hiss in it and she smelled like... A snake? Inwardly he shook his head. He had a goal.

"I need a lot of water and food. I'll pay for anything." Her eyes widened for a second before she understood.

She probably thought since they were underground for seven years, that they were all starving and parched.

'Jokes on her, it was only me.' he thought grimly. No one would have had to bother about burying him since he was already underground.

She brought the water, about three pitches, and sat them down in front of him. Maybe she thought they were sharing water between his team. Well, that wasn't the case. He quickly rose one of the pitchers to his chapped lips and chugged. It was not enough.

He quickly went and drank the next one, his lungs began to protest.

'They suffered for seven years, they can hold off of oxygen for a while longer.' He thought.

The second pitcher now drained, he placed that one besides the first and picked up the last one.

"Laxus." He heard a small whisper.

He ignored it. His body needs fluid, now.

He raised the pitcher higher, urging gravity to take it into his mouth quicker.

Someone gently grabbed his raised arm.

The third pitcher was finally empty.

As he finished with the water his over-sensitive nose caught on to the smell of meat, freshly cooked.

He jerked the hold on his arm away.

Many eyes from the guild followed him. Concern about his abnormal, erratic behaviour. He hardly cared.

Laxus ripped off chunks of meat with his sharp teeth, hardly chewing before swallowing.

He ate like a starving monster, which was exactly what he was.

After some time he realized that there was no more food left, and he wiped his mouth and hands with nearby napkins.

His belly, for the first time in seven years, felt full. His vision coloured as his stomach rolled. 'Probably should've taken it slow.' The swirling of his vision was worth it though, he felt as if he was finally doing something right.

He pulled his coated arms around his face, hiding from the world. He slowed his breathing.

"Dude… what was that?" Bickslow's confused voice brought his mind into focus. Evergreen and Freed were also staring at him.

Laxus thought quickly. "I haven't had anything to eat or drink in seven years, take a guess." It was the truth, but his teammates would sure take his answer in a figurative sense. For that, he was grateful. No good would come them finding out, he was sure. He also always had the excuse of being a dragon-slayer to fall back on. "He's right! I am starving!" Natsu cried, overhearing as he rubbed his stomach. "Aye!" Happy cheered as he sat on Lucy's head. "Lucy, can you buy me fish?" He pleaded. "No! Get off of me you dumb cat!" She cried as she swatted. Happy squealed as he gripped hard onto the blonde's hair.

Laxus rolled his eyes at his guildmate's antics. But at least his teammates accepted his answer. They all went back to their own business, and Laxus quietly sat, watching them all.

"Master." The takeover mage, Mirajane, whispered to the sixth Master. "Hmm?" Makarov paused from his drink as he eyed the white-haired mage. "Laxus doesn't look too good." Makarov lowered his beer and took a subtle look at his grandson.

The lightning mage's skin was grey and glistened slightly in sweat.

Laxus had large purple bags sinking under his bloodshot red eyes.

He's hunched over, and his back was stiff too. His chest rising and falling with controlled movements.

His grandson was hiding something.

"No, he doesn't." The master agreed.

"What shall we do?" Mirajane whispered, fully aware of the hearing ability of dragon slayers.

Makarov grimaced and spoke lowly. "We keep an eye on him."

Mirajane nodded.

The sun was getting lower, the sky bled a dark blue. It was later in the day now, where most members of the guild left to get things from their time away sorted.

There was a fair bit still in the guild, where the members wanted to spend time together. Or, in Laxus's case, to feel secure.

He wouldn't admit it to anyone but being alone for so long and living with nothing but torment shook him up a little.

Back on the island, in the deep, dark soil, he was endlessly fighting a battle he couldn't win and that terrified him.

The guild was his family, he felt safe around them. He just needed...

He just needed to feel safe for a bit.

The guild, however, did nothing to help his frozen body. Being under the ground for so long being the factor. Even his favoured, heavy coat did nothing to soothe the chill in his bones. He kept his shivering restrained, no matter how his body protested. No need to worry everyone, not when they were just dumped into the future.

Strangely, he didn't care about the time loss. He just felt.. _Hollow._


	3. Chapter 3 - The Skeleton in the Mirror

Laxus eventually decided that he should probably go home, he needed to see if his house was still standing. On the long journey home, Laxus ended upheaving his guts up on the side of the road. All of that food earlier now just gone to waste. It was dark, the pathway he walked on was lit only by moonlight. He couldn't see anything when he glanced into the surrounding woods, even with his dragon-slayer eyesight. But that barely mattered to him.

Bleary-eyed and sore he succeeds in stumbling home and into his bed. It was dusty and he probably would be sneezing up a storm when he woke up, but the bed was soft.  
He promptly passed out.

Laxus didn't return to the guild for days. He didn't want to be a source of discomfort for some of the members, who were still wary of him, understandably.  
'Besides,' he thought, 'I need to get a grip before anyone notices.'

He slept for a good two days before he had the strength to pull himself up out of bed. It took him a minute to clear his drowsiness and he used his elbows to prop himself up. He suppresses a groan as his chest tightened in discomfort. Laxus felt like an old man as he slowly pulled himself to his feet and slowly trudged his way into the bathroom. He braces himself on the sink before looking at himself in the smudged mirror.

Honestly, he shouldn't have been surprised to see a near- corpse staring back at him. But he was, he almost couldn't recognize himself. 'Great.'  
He was a skeleton, with only a bit of lean muscle and fat on him, thanks to his… survival tactics.  
His hair didn't grow, however, surprisingly, neither did any facial hair. Damn, he would've at least thought he could have had some stubble or something.  
"Weird," he muttered as he turned his head from left to right and back again.  
His eyes looked red and heavy.  
Shirtless, his eyes examined his torso. His large hands gently touching the large dark bruises that covered him. They were painful. But a couple of painkillers could help with that.

There were also large, deep slices into his skin, looking angry. Maybe he got cut up on some rocks and roots with his struggling. He opened the cabinet, grabbing some rubbing alcohol, needle and thread.  
He sat over the bathtub and opened twisted open the cap. "This is going to hurt like a bitch." He poured. "FUCK!"  
For every wound he did the same, this time, being a bit more quiet about it. His lip bled from him biting it to keep noises escaping his throat.

"Alright... Now.." he successfully pokes the thread through the eye of the needle with his shaking hands after many tries and raises it against his skin.  
"You've done this before." He tried to calm his galloping heart.  
The lightning mage eventually pushed the needle through. His lungs spasmed as he tried to remain on task. Were the painkillers not working? Perhaps store-bought stuff isn't as powerful as prescribed medicine.  
This is going to suck.

After a long, painful hour of stitching himself back up looked back into the mirror in thought.

He was grateful that he didn't tell anyone of where his house was located, which was deep into the thick forests of Magnolia. He was finally able to let his guard down a bit, not around any prying eyes to see if he ended up tripping over his own feet in exhaustion.

Laxus couldn't help but feel a bit hopeless.  
He was going to have to train and eat like mad to regain the muscle he had before, and to do it quickly enough before anyone notices. There was also talk about the Grand Magic Games, where his grandfather will no doubt force him to join a team. Not that he would turn the opportunity of redeeming Fairy Tail down, but it still gave him a massive headache.

He also has to get more lights and heat around the house... It was just too... dark and cold. At least it was something to do other than listening to the unwanted voice in his head.

He needs a distraction.

Which brought him to the middle of nowhere in the forest, for days now he's been doing nothing but training.

His body ached as he rolls onto his back, doing workouts for twelve hours would do that. Laxus only using the other twelve hours to eat, take quick breaks to clean his wounds, and sleep.

Now and again the communication lacrima he carried would go off, but he would ignore it. Instead, he would turn up the volume of his headphones so that he can only hear the blast of classic rock music.

The sun was starting to set now, basking the forest in an orangish glow.  
The colourful leaves were beautiful, swaying with energy.  
The lake beside him was calm and soothing. The wind whisked by, cooling his sweaty face. One thing he learned from exile was to "smell the roses more" as his grandfather put it. Looking at the world with less hatred and more wonder for its beauty.

During his exile, he had no idea where he would go. It's not like he had any other friends that he could've gone to. For many weeks he just wandered around, meeting new people and learning more about the world. Getting over old habits was hard, and he's still trying to change.

In the beginning, anyone that would come up to greet him gave him the urge to lash out at them. Anytime he would stroll into a run-down town and look at people on the side of the road in need, he had to resist the urge to simply ignore them and move on.

It was what he was used too, not giving a second thought to the people who were weaker than him. It was a painfully slow process to learn that these people weren't lazy or weak, they were simply trying to live.

Nearing the end of his exile if he saw someone who was struggling, it was much easier to go over and give them some jewels, it wasn't like he needed it anyways.

Sometimes people asked him if he could help get rid of some monsters or simply help carry a wheelbarrow full of goods down to their store. Each person he helped always looked at him with gratefulness in their eyes. It made him feel something he can't describe.

Even now, looking back on the memories as he gazed up into the stars, he still can't understand.

Was this the man he wanted to become? It felt like something his grandfather would do, which annoys him. Laxus wanted to be his own person. He doesn't want to be compared to Makarov or do things just because he is expected too.

Which is why he became the angry man he was in the first place. Being rude, ignorant, and unlikeable was as far from his grandfather as it gets. He had been finally recognized for being more than just the master's grandson. People knew that he was the guy to avoid at all costs. The guy who is more likely to insult you than help. It felt liberating.

As a frustrated teenager, he basked in the feeling and continued to rebel, becoming blind to anything but the need to prove to the world that he exists. After years of the same pent up anger, frustration, and hurt it ended up with him hurting his family because of his actions. Which led him to be expelled from the place he was raised from birth.

Laxus is ashamed of what he did. The feeling coiled like a python around his gut every time he looks at his grandpa, so he looks away.

Perhaps being under the dirt for so long was punishment for his actions. Perhaps that's what he deserved.

The night grew cooler as the sky darkened.

The lightning mage sat up and shuffled over towards the pond. Gazing at his distorted reflection in the water. His hair was a mess, ruffled in every direction. His face coated in a small layer of dirt. The light from the moon made his sunken cheeks even more pronounced.

The sound of grasshoppers echoed throughout the forest, and soon frogs croaked along as well.

He wondered how long he can keep up appearances until someone notices.  
It was only dumb luck that he has gotten this far without anyone calling him out.

It was then at that moment a small, glowing light decided to crash into his face. Wonderful.  
"What the fuck-" He swatted the air, unsuccessfully hitting the thing.  
The small light blinked and flew away from the threat of his hand. Flying upwards to join its friends.

The sky was littered with glowing lights.  
'Fireflies.' His mind supplied.  
There was so many of them! All in different colours, yellow, blue, green.

The fireflies danced gently in the sky. Blissfully unaware of the turmoil that was just below them. How jealous he was, of these glowing flies.  
His back unfurled as he laid down on the soft grass of the forest floor. He watched the bugs quietly.

All he has to do was get better before the Grand Magic Games, which was in three months. Easy.

The following days he trains even harder. He also cut back on eating, his stomach often won't let him keep anything large down so he ate small snacks throughout the day in between workouts. Lifting weights with twig-like arms is hard. Doing sit-ups with sharp ribs hurt. His lungs left him gasping often.

It was fine though. The process keeps him busy.

When he was too exhausted to do much else than walk, he would head into town. His coat firmly wrapped around him as he heads into shops for supplies and groceries.  
He managed to get his hands on a few heating and light lacrimas for his home, at least he has accomplished something.

The routine was set. In the morning he would wake up, eat a small breakfast, and then head into the forest to train until it was dark. The days went by quickly without him paying attention. Eventually, it became two weeks since he hasn't returned to the guild.

His communication lacrima still goes off frequently, most likely his team wondering where he vanished too. He felt guilty, for worrying them.

Laxus was back in front of his bathroom mirror again after waking up. Studying himself. "Wish this would be a lot faster," he muttered as his blue eyes roamed his still pathetic body. He wants to wake up and his body be the build it was once before, like this was some joke of a nightmare. But, this is real.

There were still bruises from training, but it looks like the ones from being stuck on the island were nearly healed. The cuts were taking longer, but the swelling has gone down. His chest finally allows him to breathe with only a slight throb of pain.

There was still an unwanted presence in his mind, and he doesn't know what to do with that. So, he decides, it can wait.

He manages to drag himself out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. He makes himself a steaming mug of coffee, the welcoming heat from the cup gets absorbed into his hands. He sipped and takes seat on top of the counter.

The communication lacrima that was sitting on his dining table went off again. The bright light pulsing with persistence as it gave off a ring. 'Who designed the stupid thing to be this annoying anyways?' he glares at the glowing orb. Then again, the only reason it was annoying was that his friends were calling him.

The ache in his heart panged harder.  
Maybe it was time to go see them, get them to set aside their worry.

It takes him over a little over an hour to get himself looking decent.  
He pulled over a dusty dark blue shirt that was much too large for him and covered his arms. He also found some baggy pants.  
His closet was sure full of odd choices, what was he thinking?  
"Leopard, really?" He mutters as he examined the items in his hands. These will have to do.

The door to his house locks automatically as he stepped outside. The day was calm, the sun was shining proudly in the sky with a few clouds.

Time to go to his family.

"Laxus hasn't picked up for two weeks now!" Freed shouted in worry at his teammates. "I know that maybe he went on a job or something." Evergreen was equally worried. Usually, Laxus would tell them if he was going anywhere, even before he was expelled.  
"He would have told us!" Freed states in frustration.

The atmosphere in the Thunder Legion was tense, ever since Laxus stopped coming to the guild. The Thunder Legion was in front of the bar now, with a concerned Mirajane on the other side. They were all huddled around the communication lacrima

The take-over mage shook her head. "He hasn't taken any jobs, there were none on record."  
Freed's knuckles turned white as his grip on the counter harden. "Maybe we should go look for him? A large guy like him would be easy to spot." Bickslow suggested.

Freed shook his head. "No, Laxus is good at keeping secrets. If he doesn't want to be found, he won't be." Freed remembered how the time when the team didn't even realise that their leader was in a forest nearby until a Gorian attacked him which led Natsu, Gajeel, and the team to the lightning mage during his exile.

The lacrima stopped ringing, Laxus didn't pick up again. "What if he's hurt?" Freed wondered quietly. Evergreen looked at the rune mage in disbelief. "We're talking about Laxus here. The man can defend himself just fine." She huffed. Surprisingly, it was Bickslow that piped up. "I don't know dudes, he was acting weird before he left."

They all knew what he was talking about. Laxus seemed more withdrawn than usual, putting a distance between himself and the team. Sometimes they would catch him staring at a guildmate or one of them, with a haunted look in his eyes. "So what? Are we supposed to just wait here?" Evergreen's eyebrows pinched together. "Maybe we can find a tracking spell or something to find him." Freed rubbed his face. His eyes hurt.

"Find who?" A too familiar voice erupted from behind them. Heads turned sharply at the voice and there he stood. The mage they were all panicking over.  
Laxus was smirking, but it looked tired. He wasn't looking much better from the last time they saw him.

Evergreen marched furiously up before the mountain of a man. Crossing her arms as her worry bled into anger. "Where the hell were you?!" She demands. They stared at each other for a short moment. "I had stuff to do." Was his answer. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? We were calling you for two weeks and not once did you pick up!" Her face reddened as her anger unleashed. "I know."  
There was no explanation, no mention of what was so important for him to suddenly vanish.

She growled. "I will turn you into stone if you don't tell me why!" She threatens and points a finger at him. "Evergreen, calm down. We can do this later." Freed steps beside her, his hand gripping her shoulder. Her anger faded and she took a deep breath. "We were worried." Laxus was quiet and but gave a small nod.

"Man, you look like you just dropped out of the sky." Bickslow jokes from his bar stool. "You don't look much better, you asshole." Laxus returned as he sat down next to him. "You can't even see me under my mask! How do you know?!" He pointed to the visor on his face. "I know what you look like."  
Bickslow sputters. "That hurt!" He dramatically clutched his heart, making an exaggerated face of pain. "Uh-huh."

Freed and Evergreen both let out a large sigh. "Children."  
Mirajane giggles.

Bickslow froze, his mouth quickly dripped into a wide, mischievous grin. His stamped tongue waving in the air.

"Great to have you back buddy."


End file.
